I am too busy grading papers to have fun.

I am tired and need to sleep.

I have two dogs and can’t be gone for long.

Gas is $3.40 a gallon!

I need a better camera.

The government is closed for business.

The forecast says snow....

Before the Sun - North Shore of Lake Superior

What is is your excuse?

October is whine time. My month to cry about inclement weather and find a reason to play it safe. This October is no exception, but like every one before and those that lie ahead, I always manage to suppress the self doubt and find the time to shoot.

Reflection on Gooseberry River - Gooseberry Falls State Park, MN

I’ve finally come to the realization that the October excuses are more fabrication than reality. This amazing time of year should inspire creativity rather than suppress it. Could my paralysis be a fear of failure... a failure to maximize the opportunity... a failure to take an artistic risk?

These doubts never keep me home. While long weeks and rainy weekends might be a good excuse, the urge to create is greater than the desire for comfort. In the last two weeks I’ve been out in the rain, up at 4:00 a.m. and driven hundreds of miles in search of fall. My list of excuses is a mile wide, but the time to experience life is finite.